The Loudest Words You Spoke Were Silent
by Aspie.Writes.Stories
Summary: Vision knew Wanda like no one else could, but when his natural curiosity and access to the whole internet of knowledge at an instant leads him to a discovery about Wanda that she had not yet realized herself, he struggles with whether he should tell her, and what effect it would have on their newfound relationship.
1. Chapter 1

No one had ever understood Wanda quite like Vision. Of course, he was also the only one that could see inside her head, so there was that. It was at the same time entirely exhilarating and horribly terrifying. Wanda wasn't used to opening up to people in general, let alone ones she had just met.

There was just something about this, though. Vision not only saw into her mind, but felt and understood exactly how she saw and experienced the world. She had tried to explain the things happening in her head to Pietro on many occasions, both before and after the experiments, but words consistently failed her. With Vision, doing so was simply unnecessary. Explanations were not needed. She'd never before felt like anyone could understand how exactly her mind worked, but he instinctively did.

He seemed to enjoy being that close to her, or so she read when she reached out for his mind in return. There was a very special and unbreakable bond between them; the likes of which terrified Wanda more than anything in the world.

She had been "here" before. The feeling wasn't exactly new. Everything in her existence reaching out, clinging to another person like they were a life preserver and she was drowning. There were times she'd mistaken this feeling for love, and it cost her dearly. But this time was different; she knew it even before Vision emerged from Dr. Cho's cradle. She'd denied it for so long, but knew that she loved Vision in ways that made absolutely no sense, but were nonetheless true.


	2. Chapter 2

When Vision was born, if that's what it could truly be called, he knew little of the world, and what humans were really like. He'd seen glimpses in the minds of others, and scanned databases of information on the internet, but he preferred by far the view of the world that he saw when learning from the mind of one Wanda Maximoff.

Wanda was the only one in the world who could see inside Vision's head, understand his true thoughts and intentions. She was the only one who truly trusted him, he was sure of it. And it was obvious to him that she loved him. They had shared their feelings with each other after she was rescued from the prison she'd been kept in. It was a long road, full of awkward moments and apologies, but it was worth every baby step to get to where they were today.

Vision had spent days exploring almost every corner of Wanda's mind. He'd seen almost every memory. There was very little that she kept from him. He was constantly in awe of every aspect of the way that Wanda observed and interacted with the world, and the people within it. She was fascinating.

Something about Wanda's mind was different than others Vision had observed. He found that he treasured this difference, and that it made him love her even more, if that was at all possible. Yet, still, an echo of words he heard in Steve's memories nagged at him. Agent Hill had one said "he's fast, and she's weird".

Weird? Vision scanned the internet quickly. He wasn't sure he liked how that particular word was defined. He also wasn't sure how it could be ascribed to the love of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mr. Stark, may I ask you a question?" Vision tried to help his tone casual.

"Uh, yeah, I guess?" Tony was slightly startled at the request. He slowly pulled his attention away from his work to face the android.

"Do you promise to keep my query a secret?" Vision asked, a little too earnest, giving him away just a little.

Tony chuckled. "Sure. Whatever."

"Under what condition is one considered 'weird'?" Vision asked quietly.

Tony blew out a breath, wondering what caused the android to ask such a question.

"Well, I can think of a few reasons. Why? Did someone call you weird?"

"Yes." Vision answered, shaking his head emphatically. Tony wasn't buying it, but didn't press him any further.

"Oh boy, I figured this would come up at some point. Listen Vis, 'weird' is a really subjective thing. I'm sure you already know that. Anything that someone's not used to, they call it weird. That's it. Don't read anything into it, ok?"

Tony awkwardly clapped Vision in the back, looking proud of his profound advice.

That wasn't really the answer Vision was looking for.


	4. Chapter 4

Vision decided to alter his approach.

"Ms. Romanoff, why would one female refer to another as 'weird'?"

Nat looked up from her book abruptly, scowling. "Is someone around here talking about me?", she asks angrily.

Vision takes a step back, holding his hands up in front of him to appear non-threatening. "Oh, certainly not, Ms. Romanoff. The question is, hypothetical?" he questioned whether that was the word he was looking for.

Nat raises her eyebrows in curiosity, then lets out a short laugh. "Sorry, can't help you." She shakes her head.

Vision is frustrated, and it must show on his face, because Nat adds, "I have to know the context, you're not giving me anything!" She laughs at the look on his face.

"Unfortunately, Ms. Romanoff, I do not recall the context. It is a comment that has been living at the edge of my memory as long as I can remember, but, who said it and about whom I know not."

He wasn't entirely lying, but It was still obvious to Nat; she'd been trained in this kind of thing.

Nat bursts out in a fit of laughter. "Are you kidding me right now?" she asks. "Even if I _could_ answer such a vague question, the fact that I know that you're lying to me vanishes any chances of my helping you. Now, I will give you one chance, if you're so inclined, to tell me the truth. I will help you, but know that if you lie to me again, you're done."

Vision turns quickly, letting his cape fly dramatically behind him, "Sorry I asked." he mumbles, then he storms off in frustration.

Nat looks on in shock for a second, before silently resolving that she _will_ get the information out of the android eventually. She turns back to her book as if nothing had happened.


	5. Chapter 5

Wanda sits, cross-legged, on her cot. The fugitive group of former Avengers is currently hiding out in some sort of underground bunker. She isn't sure where they are this time, which is frustrating. Steve won't tell her of their location ever since he found out about her secret meetings with Vision. Wouldn't he lose it if he found out about her communications with Vision….

She wasn't sure how Vision managed it, but, the last time they met he was able to modify one of her rings so that he could use the mind stone to connect with her from any distance. She was so thankful for this, especially since she didn't know if or when she would be seeing him again after Steve's discovery. She was effectively "grounded". So much for getting away from Stark's orders.

But, all of that didn't matter at the moment. Vision had been silent in her head for hours. She was worried. What if she'd fried it somehow with her powers? What if he'd been found out and Tony had taken action to disable it? What if they'd disabled _him?_

Wanda's mind raced out of control. She'd pulled her blanket over her head just as the tears spilled over from her eyes. Terrified and utterly alone in the universe, she hid herself there. Her breathing was heavy, her chest ached, and she just couldn't stop crying. At the very least, she managed to keep quiet, but the sobs shook her entire body, and it took all she had to keep the others from noticing her.

She felt Vision's presence before she got an actual message of any kind, but it made no difference in this moment. As soon as she knew he was there, she sobbed even harder, overwhelmed with all of the emotions she was feeling.

She could tell that Vision was concerned, but, at that moment, Sam appeared looking incredibly worried. Vision could see as much through Wanda's eyes, feeling helpless as he was flooded with the heaviest, most painful emotional response he'd ever experienced. Horrified, he was glad that he had walked into his room before attempting to contact Wanda again. Strong as he was, her pain dropped him to his knees. He couldn't cry, but he felt as if his synthetic body was trying as hard as it could to force him to somehow.

"Woah, woah, woah, kid. What's going on? Are you ok?" It was kind of a stupid question, but Sam couldn't think of anything else to say. He moved to pull Wanda up against his shoulder, and she jumped away, startling him enough to cause him to jump up. "Ok, I get it. Backing off. Is there anything I can do?"

Wanda shook her head, rolled over, and pulled the blanket violently back over her.

Back at the compound, Tony had walked into Vision's room without knocking. Vision supposed it was fair, since he'd done the same thing many times.

Tony panicked, "Vision! Are you ok?!" He thought someone had infiltrated the compound. He immediately summoned his suit, on guard against the supposed invader that had been able to injure a supposedly impenetrable android.

Vision looked at him helplessly, and opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. The look of pain on his face worried Tony even more.

"Can't you speak?"

Vision shook his head no.

"Did someone hurt you?"

Vision shook his head no again.

"Is someone in here other than us?"

No again.

"Ok, we've got to get you looked over. Something's not right. I'm calling Dr. Cho."


	6. Chapter 6

Thankfully, Tony left the room to make his phone call. Vision regained his composure for a second and did everything he could from his current position to soothe his love. She was still inconsolable, still in pain, and it hurt him more than he thought was possible for his synthetic body.

After a few minutes, though, he was able to calm her. He could feel her breathing slow, her heart rate return to normal. Her body was exhausted, and he knew she needed sleep. He transmitted a recording of an old Sokovian lullaby she once told him of. She smiled, despite the tears still rolling down her cheeks. He felt her drift off a few minutes later.

When Tony returned, Vision was standing in his room, staring out the window as if nothing had happened. Tony was surprised.

"Vision?"

"Oh, hello Mr. Stark"

"What the hell happened? Are you ok?"

"Honestly, I can't be sure. I have no idea what happened." He lied.

"Dr. Cho is on her way here. I'm hooking you up for diagnostics so that they're ready when she gets here. Let's go to the lab."

Vision silently thanked Tony for having programmed Jarvis to understand slight deceptiveness for the right purposes. He was glad that he'd thought to hide any trace of the communication device he'd created for Wanda.

He worried about having to switch off communications for who knows how many more hours. He sent a quick message to Wanda as they were walking. "I love you more than anything. I'm switching off for a while. Not sure when I can be back. I promise I will be." and then dropped the connection to keep his messages hidden during diagnostics.


	7. Chapter 7

Wanda woke up to the message that Vision had left for her. She smiled, still sleepy, but then it hit her. She felt like she'd been through battle. Her muscles ached, her head was pounding, her eyes burned, her chest still hurt.

This wasn't the first time it had happened, but it was definitely the first that anyone but Pietro had seen, let alone experienced alongside her. She felt immense guilt for the fact that Vision had to go through that.

It had become worse in the years since the experiments had started, and unbearable in the most recent years since Pietro died and she had been going through everything having to do with being a part of the Avengers. She still didn't know what "it" was, though, and that troubled her even more than the fact that it was happening.

She found a cup of hot tea and some pain pills on the small table next to her cot. She wasn't sure who brought them, but was thankful nonetheless. She downed the offering quickly and soon began to feel drowsy. Chamomile and lavender were a bit of a weakness of her's. She drifted off for a while, knowing that they didn't yet have to leave.

When she woke up again, she felt much better; although, she missed Vision in her head acutely. She made her way to the kitchen to find something to eat. Sam was sitting there, and thankfully just nodded at her. She wasn't up to carrying on a conversation with him at the moment.

Finding a snack, she snuck to the only safe location outside so that she could get some alone time and enjoy her meal. She was sure that sitting out in the woods for a while would help her to get a handle on things.

She sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree and munched on her suddenly unappealing snack when she felt him again.

"Wanda, my love," Vision sounded devastated, "are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?"

"I'm ok." Her response was a bit clipped, and it made him nervous.

"Are you sure? It wasn't something I did, was it?"

"Seriously Vis, I'm alright. I have you. I'm alright." She sounded like she was reassuring herself.

"What happened last night?" He asked as gently as possible, projecting calm into her head for fear of upsetting her.

"It's nothing Vis, it just happens sometimes. I'm so sorry you had to see that. It's a part of my life that I'm used to, but you shouldn't have to deal with it."

"No, Wanda. We are together. If you are in pain, I will share it. It is my pain too."

A tear slipped down her cheek, but she felt comforted knowing that he still wanted to be with her after living through the hell that was last night.

"I love you Vision."

"I love you too, my Wanda."


	8. Chapter 8

Vision had long forgotten his journey to figure out why anyone might call Wanda 'weird'. It seemed so small and inconsequential given that he was trying to figure out just what had happened to her the other night. He couldn't get it out of his head. It haunted him in a way that nothing else had ever done.

He walked through the compound deep in thought, not quite noticing the fact that he was mumbling slightly, nor the fact that he had walked past Nat, who was sitting in the kitchen and heard him.

"What was that?" Nat asked, not looking up from the video of Nathaniel she was watching on her phone.

Vision stopped, startled by the intrusion into his musing. "N-nothing," he stuttered.

Now it was Nat's turn to look shocked. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard the android stumble over words. She put down her phone. "Vision, sit," she demanded in a way he felt compelled to obey. He sat in a chair across from her, waiting for her to continue. "What on earth is going on with you? Not that anyone knows what 'normal' is when it comes to androids, but you're not yourself. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." he tried to be casual when he said it.

"Lying again, are we? Time for you to spill, or we're going to have a conversation with Stark about secret keeping and you won't have a choice."

Before he could fully process the implication of what she was saying, he asked, "What would make a human lose the ability to speak temporarily?"

He received a very puzzled look in return.

"Like, selective mutism?" she asked.

He wasn't familiar with the term. He searched the internet. "I think so. It seems to fit."

"Which human? I know that no one here in the compound has that problem." Nat thought that she knew where this was going. She noticed more than anyone gave her credit for.

Vision paused, wondering if he should tell her.

"Ok, give it up. I know who you're talking about and I'm tired of playing games with you."

"But Wanda doesn't…"

"Ha! I knew it! You've been in touch with Maximoff!"

"What? You tricked me!"

"Easy enough to do!"

He silently conceded. She was right.

"Come on Vision, let's go for a walk."

Away from the compound, he felt more comfortable with the fact that she knew his secret, even though that feeling wasn't quite logical. He thought for a second about how much being with humans in general, and Wanda specifically, had affected him.

Before he could get too far into that thought, though, she interrupted, "Listen, I'm not going to ask you where she is. I know you probably wouldn't tell me anyways. I want you to know that you can tell me things, though. Truth be told, I've been in touch with Steve. I know that they're ok, although he doesn't tell me where they are either. I have seen him once since their capture, just to know for myself that they were alright."

Vision thought about how he might respond. He chose his words very carefully; completely aware that this could go terribly wrong, "I do not think that Wanda is ok. I also do not think that Captain Rogers is aware."

Nat took note that he had dropped the formalities when it came to mentioning Wanda's name, but filed it away for later. "What happened? Is she hurt?"

"Not exactly. Physically, she seems to be alright. Something else is going on. Something I alluded to earlier. I do not know what it is. Some sort of disturbance that is causing her great pain, and the loss of the ability to speak."

Nat looked at him thoughtfully, testing as she replied, "Are you sure she's just not being moody? Or that you're not overly worried because of your own emotional entanglement?" She tried to keep her face neutral as she said this.

Multiple expressions crossed his face within seconds as he processed her words. "I am certain," he paused, deciding, "I am in her head. I lived it. It was the most terrifying feeling I've ever experienced. I cannot imagine what it must've been like for her." He hung his head as he recalled what he had felt.

"I think we need to call Steve. Leave that to me."

No going back now.


	9. Chapter 9

"Steve, I think they need to see each other to…"

…

"I know you don't like it, but…"

…

"Will you at least let me finish a sentence? There, that wasn't so hard. Something's going on. We have to figure it out or you will lose her. Let him calm her down. Let them see each other."

…

"Yeah, I know it's dangerous. I think we all do. But you know we can make it work. _We_ got together after all that happened and the world didn't burn. In the few years he's been alive, I've never seen Vision like this. I can't imagine what she's been like."

…

"Really? You haven't noticed anything? Well, you've been preoccupied, and she's used to being alone. I'm sure she wouldn't show you what's going on."

…

"Ok, got it. We'll see you there."

* * *

"Tony, we're going out" she said as they hurried past him.

Thank goodness he was so absorbed in whatever peculiar project he was working on that he waved them off before realizing what exactly Nat was saying. He would be livid later, but they made it out for now.

The jet was silent as Nat navigated, and Vision sat in the back. He linked into his communicator for the first time since earlier that morning. Wanda still didn't know.

"Please don't hate me," he thought with a hint of desperation. She picked up on it.

"Um, why would I hate you, my love?" She was in a good mood today.

"Because Ms. Romanoff and I will see you in exactly 3 hours."

Her heart skipped a beat. She had previously resigned herself to the thought that she may never see him again, and all of that had just changed in an instant.

He noticed the change in her heart rate, her breathing, and felt the tears of joy that sprung to her eyes. Then, his words sunk in. Nat was coming. She began to panic. He felt that too.

"It will be ok, my love. You know I would never do anything to put you in danger. And, if I'm with you, I can protect you."

"I miss you, but I am scared."

"I know. Just breathe. Soon, I will make it ok." He played the lullaby again. It didn't put her to sleep this time, but it calmed her enough to get her through until they arrived.


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as she saw him, the rest of the world melted away around her. The fear, the uncertainty, the unidentifiable entity that seemed to be crushing her chest. The people and place didn't matter anymore. Nothing did, but him.

She took her first real, deep breath in weeks as he scooped her up and they disappeared. Nat and Steve watched as they cleared the treeline, and then settled in to get caught up.

He took her to a place that was safe, just a short distance away. As they settled down, she started to cry. He held her close, drying her tears as they came on. "Shhhhh, it's ok," he whispered to her over and over again.

When she'd calmed down a bit, she pulled back, looking up at him.

"I am so sorry. This is ridiculous," she said

"No, my dear Wanda. It is not. You are hurting, and I'm going to figure out how to help. I promise." He pulled her back to him and kissed her forehead. Oh how he had missed this. He didn't dare to linger on the thought that he would soon miss it again.

They stayed like that for a while. Far too little time to satisfy either of them, but enough for now. They didn't speak; there was no need for it. They listened to each other telepathically; catching up, comforting, absorbing as much of each other as they could, until their time was up.

* * *

Agreements had been made to try to meet at more regular intervals, being careful that the meetings were brief, discreet, and safe for all involved. The circumstances weren't ideal, but they would take all they could get at this point.

Parting ways was nearly unbearable. Wanda held herself together until the jet was out of sight, then fell apart, not caring that Steve was still standing next to her.

She tried desperately to fly toward where she saw the jet disappear, but suddenly felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind. Under normal circumstances, she would've taken him down without a second thought. But right now, she was just so tired and weak.

Vision was in her head the moment they lost sight of her. He knew the crippling pain that was coming, but needed to be there with her.

He felt her heart rate speed up, her breathing grow uneven, tears slip down her face. But the sobbing that happened the other night never came. She was hiding it from Steve.

Vision heard through her ears "You ok kid?" She didn't look up. She shook her head no, but couldn't form words again. She turned to go back inside.

"Is she ok?" Nat asked. Vision shook his head no. Nat had never seen him refrain from speaking when he had another choice. She didn't push things.


	11. Chapter 11

Vision was thankful he still retained some things from Jarvis' programming. It was easy enough for him to hack the security system and hide the fact that they had turned their transponders off for the past four hours, and the fact that they took the Quinjet too.

He felt Wanda smile a little as she realized what he was doing. It wasn't often that she reached into his mind, but he could tell she'd done so to distract herself from what she was going through at the moment.

"Where the hell have you guys been?!" Stark said as soon as he saw them. "I cannot have multi million dollar equipment disappearing for hours on end!"

"We went to the park, sir," Vision started, "Ms. Romanoff is teaching me…" he looks around suspiciously, "espionage," he whispers, trying to be secretive.

Stark laughed derisively, "needs some work, pal. You can't even lie effectively!"

Nat tried to hide her laughter.

"God help me, you two better not be sneaking off dating!" He looked horrified.

Vision looked at Nat, who looked back at him. She couldn't hold back anymore, and roared with laughter. Vision chuckled awkwardly not amused by the situation. But then he heard in his head the most beautiful sound he'd heard in a very long time.

Wanda was sitting on a hotel room bed, eyes closed, experiencing the world through Vision's perspective. She had been worried about him getting in trouble when he went back to the Avengers compound. She felt much better, being with him that way. Much as she hated invading his privacy, she needed him right now.

She had loathed Tony Stark for a million different reasons over the years, but had acquired a much different perspective since Vision came into the world. Now, she collapsed in a fit of laughter so hard that she couldn't breathe. The look on Tony's face, the look on Nat's face, the awkwardness of how Vision felt about it all. Tears streamed down her face and she doubled over. She knew he would tease her later, but this was worth every bit of it.

When Nat regained control of herself, she said, "no way! It's not my fault he lacks the skills to successfully hide himself on missions!" she elbowed Vision playfully to show she was just joking.

"Just, whatever! I don't know what you two are _really_ up to, but whatever it is, don't do anything stupid!" He stormed back in the direction of the lab.

Vision looked back at Nat, "thank you very much for your assistance Ms. Romanoff. It is greatly appreciated." he stated, and then walked away in the direction of his room.


	12. Chapter 12

"I am overjoyed to hear your laughter, even if at my own expense."

"Sorry Vis, but that was completely hysterical. Thanks for making my day."

"I must switch off for a while, but I will be back soon. I love you so much."

"Love you more."

* * *

He had some research to do.

Nat's suggestion earlier about losing the ability to speak was the first real lead he'd had as to what was happening to Wanda.

He searched, "Selective Mutism". Something that usually a child has and outgrows. No, that's not right.

"Selective Mutism in Adults". Information about anxiety, social anxiety, social phobia. No, that wasn't right either.

"Temporary loss of the ability to speak". Aphasia, Transient Ischemic Attacks, Stroke, Migraines. Those made even less sense.

Vision had surface knowledge of human psychology, but nothing he knew quite fit this situation. Anxiety seemed to make some sense, but didn't explain everything.

He paused. Taking only a few moments into account will not likely give correct results. What else did he know about her and how could it relate? He was quickly understanding why human psychology was such a deep field of study.

What did he know about Wanda?

In that moment, he recalled a conversation they'd had just a few months ago when they'd met up secretly.

" _Pietro was always full of energy and life, even when we were younger. It didn't surprise me that he ended up with speed as a power, and I could tell it made him kind of happy. Strucker always said he must've been a hyperactive child; that the process caused that to manifest as the powers he received."_

This gave Vision something to consider. Wanda actively avoided reading minds unless she had to, because it overwhelmed her. She felt exactly what the person she was reading felt. She didn't make eye contact, because doing so caused almost an immediate connection to someone's mind. She saw the world in a way no one else on the team did; he knew, he'd been in their heads too. He'd always assumed it was because of her powers.

Suddenly, something clicked. He'd never thought of it before. She didn't match with any of the general knowledge he'd acquired.

He started a new search, "Undiagnosed Autism in Females."

Information flooded his head. He scanned through it all, learned everything he could. What he found was so different from the general description that he'd skimmed over when getting the gist of human psychology that it shocked him. The more he researched, the more it fit, and the more he realized that this was exactly what was going on.

How could he tell her? His sweet, wonderful, beautiful Wanda already believed that she was a monster, a freak. Even though he didn't consider this information to be a bad thing, like most of the world saw it, he knew that she would just take it as another thing on the pile of what made her different from the rest of the world. He couldn't see any way that she would take this well.

He sat for a few moments, head in his hands, trying to figure out what to do.


	13. Chapter 13

Vision and Nat snuck out of the compound the next morning, too early to be noticed. Vision was thankful he didn't need to sleep; he'd been researching all night.

He was glad to know that Wanda was in better spirits today. She seemed to be comforted by the idea of consistency amidst the chaos that fugitive life brought; another piece of evidence that substantiated his theory.

When the jet landed, she ran to him. He picked her up, spinning around in a circle as she smiled at him. She let out a small gasp at how tight he hugged her, but immediately relaxed into it. He could tell she felt immense relief. He filed this information away for later.

Steve and Nat glanced at the pair, turning to walk away in order to give them some privacy.

"I have missed you."

"I've missed you too, Vis."

They sat and talked for a while. Vision noticed that she absentmindedly transferred red strands of light from hand to hand, as if she didn't even notice she was doing it. The action seemed to calm her, though. Something else to file away for future consideration.

Their conversation drifted over the more mundane details of life that they missed from not being together; what life at the compound was like, what life on the run was like, what missions they'd both been on lately, and, of course, some playful fun poked at the "dating" comment from Tony.

As he listens to her, he falls in love with all that she is even more. She is loyal to a fault. She doesn't judge him for being an android (something that he couldn't ascribe to many humans he'd interacted with). She describes things in such accurate detail that he can imagine them perfectly. She is strong and resilient, despite all she's been through.

It was only when she asked him, "Vis, what are you thinking about?" that he realized he'd just been staring at her for a few minutes and not taking.

"Oh, n-nothing." he stuttered.

He trained his focus back on her, grabbing both of her hands. "I love you Wanda Maximoff."

"I love you too Vision."

It was then that he knew exactly how he would tell her.


	14. Chapter 14

He was starting to understand that being apart was never going to be any easier. Even though Wanda was having a good day, even though he knew he'd see her again soon, even though he could still talk to her every day, it wasn't enough. He knew he would quickly lose patience with being separated from her.

He wasn't ready for that revelation quite yet, though. He knew that he had to take things one step at a time. She had been through so much lately that he did not want to overwhelm her. What he was planning, he was sure would risk overwhelming her.

* * *

"Captain Rogers, I need your help."

"Nice to hear from you too, Vision. What's up?"

"I need one week with her. I just have to have some time."

"Are you sure Nat's not going to be jealous?" Steve snickered.

Vision scowled, letting Steve have his laugh.

"Oh, come on Vision, it's just a joke! Come on, I'll help you out!"

"Captain Rogers, I believe I may have been perfecting a skill that could be of assistance."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I've been able to disguise myself as human."

"Hmmm…" Steve thought for a moment, "Let me make some calls."

* * *

Vision thought better of surprising Wanda with his practiced human appearance. He reached out to her.

"Wanda my love, _watch this_ ," he whispered into her head.

He felt Wanda's presence in his mind. He was standing in front of the mirror in his room. He could hear her gasp when he phased into his human disguise.

"Not as good as the real you, but pretty nice!"

"Lets see how well it works, shall we?"

Wanda watched through Vision's eyes as he wandered through the compound, toward Tony's lab. She considered it good that she was alone in her own room again, because she started giggling like mad when she realized what Vison was about to do.

" _Wanda, stop that! You're going to distract me!"_ He projected the thought into her head. She laughed even harder, " _Ok, breathe."_ She took a deep breath and tried to quiet herself.

Vision stood in the doorway to Tony's lab, silently watching as Tony focused on his computer. Suddenly, though, he turned on some cheesy-sounding music and started dancing around, messing with some new technology he must've been working on.

 _I'm sexy and i know it..._

At that moment, Wanda lost her composure. She laughed so hard that she couldn't breathe. Vision tried hard not to, but hearing her laugh made him laugh too.

Tony spun around suddenly.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" He reached for his Iron Man suit glove, preparing to defend himself from the foreign invader.

Just as Stark was powering up his glove, Vision backed off, "Mr. Stark, please, stop!"

Wanda gasped. She held her breath for a second, until recognition flashed in Stark's eyes, "Vision? What the hell?"

"Well, it looks like that test was successful." Vision mumbled to himself and chuckled.

"Yes, it is me. I've been practicing. What do you think? Could this be useful?"

"Uh, hell yeah it could!" Tony exclaimed in surprise. "How are you doing that?"

"Oh, I just modified some technology I'd found here at the compound. I told you I was working on espionage."

"Well then, well done, I guess. Now get out of my lab, I'm busy!"

* * *

Vision collapsed in a fit of laughter as soon as he was hidden behind his bedroom door. Wanda had shown him just how it felt to laugh like that, how it was almost unpleasant, but very fulfilling. They chatted for hours after that, never once thinking that there were other things they should be doing.

"I've got a surprise for you, my love."

"Oh yeah? What surprise?"

"Captain Rogers is assisting us in securing one entire week of time alone."

"Oh Vis! That's wonderful! How did you manage that? When? Where?"

"Scotland. Two weeks from now. I know it's longer than we are usually apart, but the end result will be very much worth it, I think."

"I'm going to miss you terribly."

"I know. I will miss you too. I have more surprises, though, my dear. I anticipate it being the best week of my existence."

* * *

Wanda didn't sleep that night. She laid awake daydreaming of all her life could be with Vision if things weren't so very complicated. Oh how she wished they didn't have to be like this.


	15. Chapter 15

There was just so much to plan. Vision put together a detailed agenda of things that he and Wanda could do in Scotland, leaving plenty of time in between that they could just spend alone together in the hotel. He was careful to plan activities that would allow them to stay undercover, but still enjoy themselves. It would be the first time since being on the run that he could take Wanda on a real date. Truth be told, it would be the first time _ever_ that he could take Wanda on a real date.

That would be day 2. Day one, he'd planned nothing. He knew that they would need time to just sit and talk, catch up. He would want to hold her close and simply be with her.

He recruited Nat and the newly-returned Ms. Potts to help pick out a dress. Something beautiful, but subtle, as not to blow their cover. They also helped him choose his clothes, stunned by his new human disguise, and some everyday clothes for Wanda as well. He knew she didn't have much of her own, being on the run, and wanted to bring her some comfortable, practical things, which he knew she probably didn't have.

Vision decided to show the new clothes to Wanda. He reached out for her.

"Hello, my love."

What came back was silent sorrow. She was missing him, desperately. She communicated feelings instead of words. She missed him, she wished it didn't have to be so long until they could see each other. She was excited, but also sad and lonely.

"Maybe this will take your mind off of things? In Bringing you some new clothes. Ms. Romanoff and Ms. Potts helped to pick them out. I can certainly exchange them if they don't work, though…"

Wanda cut off his train of thought.

"Whatever it is, Vis, I'm sure I'll love it." She reassured him.

He went through the pile of neatly folded clothes, examining each one closely so that she could see and feel them through their connection.

Wanda had almost always found clothing to be an annoyance, even before. Not that she particularly thought going around naked was a good idea either, but clothes were a practical necessity that she was never quite comfortable in. These, however, were different. Vision did an exceptional job picking soft, comfortable things that were also strong enough to withstand her life on the run. She could tell that the main reason that Nat and Pepper were involved was to be sure that the clothes were stylish and subtle enough not to attract attention.

"These are wonderful, Vis! I can't wait to wear them!"

"Look under your bed, my love."

Wanda was already sitting on the bed, so she learned over the edge, hanging upside down to grab a medium-sized box wrapped in plain paper. There was a note attached, written in his eerily perfect handwriting.

 _I knew you'd be missing me right now, but I hope this helps._

 _-Vision_

She opened the box to find a cozy-looking white sweatshirt. The kind with little holes in the sleeves for your thumbs to go through. She put it on and instantly felt at home. It smelled like him, and his room at the compound. Metal and old books and just a hint of the cologne he'd once tried wearing to appear more human.

The smell brought a flood of memories, her favorite being the way he found any reason at all to casually walk by and see her reaction to the different kinds of cologne he was trying. They weren't dating at the time, but he was clearly trying hard to impress her.

His quiet and slightly embarrassed laugh brought her back to the present.

"Thanks Vis, this helps."

"Check the inside pocket."

Wanda reached into the sweatshirt, finding a small, flat, square object. Her hand stilled, and she felt slightly nervous.

"Vis?... what is this?"

Vision noticed her change in tone and mood immediately. Wondering what had upset her, he searched the internet quickly before collapsing in a roar of laughter.

"Not at all what I think you think it is!"

Wanda warily continued, pulling the object out of her pocket.

The small square was colored red and metallic blue, just like her Vision, with a small button in the center. When she pressed it, the device unfolded into a rather comfortable-looking blanket. She could tell there was something very special about it, but she could also tell that Vision felt excited to explain it to her.

"Looks like your skills at developing your own tech are improving. Tell me about this."

"I know just how uncomfortable you can be, depending on where you end up for the night sometimes. This fabric is created so that you can easily manipulate it with your powers. You can use it to form a small shelter, and gain some privacy. You can alter the density so that it can provide a bit of soothing weight, and the temperature to be comfortable in any condition. But, my favorite part is this…"

Vision moved his arms as if he was holding onto something, or someone, and the blanket that was merely laying over Wanda shifted.

Tears sprang to her eyes at how much she missed something so simple. It definitely wasn't the same as being in the same room as her wonderful, thoughtful, caring boyfriend, but it was certainly the next best thing.

She marveled at the thoughts and feelings going through his head. He could feel her too, as if they were together at last.

She slept better that night than she ever had.


	16. Chapter 16

"Good morning, sweetheart."

Every morning started like this now. Vision pulling her close and placing an innocent kiss on her forehead. Wanda still drowsy enough to think that he's actually there somehow. She was always a little upset to remember that he wasn't, but thankful that she could enjoy the illusion day after day until they met again.

She didn't know what she'd done to deserve someone as wonderful as him, and somehow he felt exactly the same about her.

"I'm going to be very busy today, putting things together for our trip. But, if you need me, you know exactly where to find me."

"You really are the best, Vis!"

* * *

Itineraries, clothes, planning, even developing advanced tech was the easy part. Now that all of that was done, Vision began to get nervous. No matter what he tried or how he presented it, he didn't know how Wanda was going to react to the information he'd learned.

As he started to put it together, he focused on all of the things that made his sweet Wanda so amazing.

She was strong, especially when she had to be. He imagined the power coursing through her veins, saving their Avenger family from death he was certain would've happened had she not been in Sokovia that day.

She was loyal, even when he was stupid. He thought about how much he regretted confining her to the compound under his creator's orders. This was his biggest regret in life, yet she dared to love him anyways. He let himself soak into the feeling of regret being washed out by forgiveness and love.

She was resilient. After all she had been through in life, she should've been a shell, a broken, empty woman. She was far from that. He dwelled for a moment on his understanding of her as a whole. She had accomplished so much the past few years. She had been through the unthinkable and still came out full of life and fire and love in abundance that should not have been possible.

She was smart. Not in the super-genius way that Mr. Stark or Dr. Banner were, but in her own special way that meant she understood things that no one else could, in a way no one else could.

She was empathetic, and caring in ways no one else was. He thought about how intensely she felt the emotions of people she was reading. He thought about how she shared her understanding with him in ways he could grasp; how she helped to make him more human with each passing day.

She was beautiful. Never in his life had he seen someone that attracted him so much.

She was unique, and special, and lovely in ways that only Wanda could be. It didn't matter to him what label anyone might put on her, he loved his Wanda all the same.

But now, with this information, came context. To him, her being autistic had the same informational meaning as her having fair skin. It was just a part of her that meant she had to be taken care of in a specific way. Now that he knows what that way is, he can do the best that he can for her, all out of love. There was no reason to see this as a negative thing, like the world seemed to see it. There was no reason to tell anyone, if she didn't want to. It could be their little secret.

* * *

He repeated it an in his head, willing it to stay. Usually it wasn't a problem for his computerized mind to remember something but his nervous energy was sabotaging all of his attempts to hold it together.

He wondered how he would do this. As he remembered his promise to her, that he would figure out how to help, his determination strengthened. Exactly as he'd rehearsed, then.


	17. Chapter 17

Wanda began having nightmares again. Vision could sense it without even trying.

Over the past few weeks, their connection had only gotten stronger. It was both a blessing and a curse, because he wanted to be close to her, but missed her all the more for being able to hear but not see her.

This time, he had had enough. He was done watching her suffer through things he knew that he could prevent. He was done missing her when he had all the power that he needed to make that go away.

He walked out of the compound, not even thinking about effectively masking his movements. He simply turned off his transponder and flew away.

* * *

Wanda woke up just as she had every single morning for the past week. "Good morning, sweetheart." came Vision's voice. It was different somehow, but she was too drowsy to think about just why. He pulled her close to him, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes snapped open as she suddenly realized what was happening. Panic quickly settled in.

"Vision! What are you doing here?" a mix of shock, anger, fear, surprise, and elation colored her words, her face, her mind as he looked into it.

"I'm so sorry Wanda. I know I shouldn't have come, but, you were miserable. I needed to be with you."

"Oh Vis, it's ok." she said wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. "Did Steve see you?"

"I called Captain Rogers on my way in. I didn't want to be _totally_ irresponsible. I couldn't jeopardize your safety."

Wanda let out a sigh of relief.

"Does this mean I get you for _two_ whole weeks now?" she asked shyly.

"Hmmm...I suppose it does" a smile lighting up his face at the prospect of more time.

"Mmmm…. Good." she sighed happily, falling back asleep in his arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Breakfast that morning was nothing short of awkward. Even though Steve knew full well what was going on, Sam didn't have a clue. He was wary of Vision being around because he didn't feel that he could be trusted. Vision and Wanda made their escape quickly afterwards to avoid any issues.

They walked the woods in a totally unpopulated area, reveling in the privacy that they'd found in the least likely of situations. Holding hands, they walked along silently, just taking time to feel each other's emotions and thoughts through their telepathic connection.

Vision was nervous, worried, which made Wanda worried too. She felt like the world was going to crash in on her.

Vision stopped short, pulling her backwards slightly. She turned around and whispered "What is it Vis?"

He didn't dare to speak, but he looked her in the eyes and the thoughts and words flowed between them. He was comforting her, telling her everything was ok. He was sorry to have worried her. He loved her more than anything in the world.

" _Remember when I said I'd figure out a way to help you?"_

" _Of course I do."_

" _I figured it out, but I'm nervous you'll be upset."_

" _What do you mean?"_

He brought memories to mind for her to watch. It was the only way he could figure out how to communicate this to her.

He placed his room, worried about what he'd say, worried about her reaction, fussing over minute details in a way only Vision could.

He ran through the script he'd repeated in his head at least a thousand times:

 _She was strong, especially when she had to be. He imagined the power coursing through her veins, saving their Avenger family from death he was certain would've happened had she not been in Sokovia that day._

 _She was loyal, even when he was stupid. He thought about how much he regretted confining her to the compound under his creator's orders. This was his biggest regret in life, yet she dared to love him anyways. He let himself soak into the feeling of regret being washed out by forgiveness and love._

 _She was resilient. After all she had been through in life, she should've been a shell, a broken, empty woman. She was far from that. He dwelled for a moment on his understanding of her as a whole. She had accomplished so much the past few years. She had been through the unthinkable and still came out full of life and fire and love in abundance that should not have been possible._

 _She was smart. Not in the super-genius way that Mr. Stark or Dr. Banner were, but in her own special way that meant she understood things that no one else could, in a way no one else could._

 _She was empathetic, and caring in ways no one else was. He thought about how intensely she felt the emotions of people she was reading. He thought about how she shared her understanding with him in ways he could grasp; how she helped to make him more human with each passing day._

 _She was beautiful. Never in his life had he seen someone that attracted him so much._

 _She was unique, and special, and lovely in ways that only Wanda could be. It didn't matter to him what label anyone might put on her, he loved his Wanda all the same._

 _But now, with this information, came context. To him, her being autistic had the same informational meaning as her having fair skin. It was just a part of her that meant she had to be taken care of in a specific way. Now that he knows what that way is, he can do the best that he can for her, all out of love. There was no reason to see this as a negative thing, like the world seemed to see it. There was no reason to tell anyone, if she didn't want to. It could be their little secret._

He heard Wanda gasp out loud. Felt her confusion at what he'd just revealed.

" _Help me understand."_

He felt her reaching without restraint, she used their connection to access the internet through him, startled by the speed at which information came at her. He helped by slowing it down, guiding her to everything positive he'd found, walking her through all of his memories of deciphering this on his own, from only what he knew of his wonderful girlfriend.

He heard back appreciation in her thoughts, but also denial, pain, mourning. Then, understanding and acceptance peeked in, along with a little bit of relief. This made sense to her. It all fit.

Wanda mourned for the years that she could've spent figuring this out, for the frustration that she and Pietro endured trying to navigate blind through her struggles. She had learned with the Avengers, though, that looking back wasn't always the best option, and moving forward had to come, even when it was painful.

This moment both hurt and healed her in ways she could not describe.

A gentle hand on her shoulder brought her back from deep within her thoughts. She looked up to see the only man she'd ever loved, and the only one that loved her enough to dig this far to help her. She had seen through his memories just how much he had done to make sure this turned out right. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she reached out to hug him. He held her tight enough to soothe her.

" _So you don't hate me?"_

" _Vision!"_ she thought in shock, " _Why on earth would you think I hate you?"_

" _I just thought that you may have been upset at my findings, considering that the world doesn't view autism as such a positive thing."_

" _I don't know how I feel about it yet, too be honest, but that really has nothing to do with you. All you did was bring me an assessment of facts."_

" _Ok, well, that's good. I don't understand in the slightest why the world has such a mixed up notion. You are the most amazing woman I've ever met, and you wouldn't be_ _my_ _Wanda if you weren't exactly who you are."_

Wanda pulled back a bit, then stretched up on her toes to kiss his lips. Strange as it sounded from two people who had long ago declared their love for each other, this was the first time that they'd kissed.

They both felt as if they could've floated away if not for the other holding them on the ground.

* * *

There was a long road ahead of them, full of so many questions and possibilities. In this moment, though, they didn't care. What they had was each other, and, come what may, it would always be enough.


End file.
